AC/DC hand portable wet/dry vacuum having improved portability and convenience

ABSTRACT

A wet/dry vacuum that is configured to be powered by a DC power source.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U. S. patent application Ser. No.10/640,267 filed on Aug. 13, 2003 (now U. S. Pat. No. 7,653,963), whichclaims the benefit of U. S. Provisional Application No. 60/425,371,filed Nov. 12, 2002. The above-referenced applications are incorporatedby reference as if fully set forth in detail herein.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to vacuum appliances and moreparticularly to an AC/DC powered hand-portable wet/dry vacuum havingimproved convenience and performance.

BACKGROUND

Vacuum appliances that are capable of picking up both wet and drymaterials are commonly known as wet/dry vacuums. Such wet/dry vacuumsare well known in the art and are commercially available in a variety ofsizes and configurations. Recent consumer trends have placed significantcost pressures the commercially available wet/dry vacuums and as such,many manufacturers are presently producing low-end, relatively smallcapacity low-cost units and/or high-end, relatively high capacityhigh-cost professional grade units.

The low-end, low-cost units are frequently employed by professionalusers, such as installers, service technicians and tradespeople inresidential construction. These professionals are commonly required toclean their job site prior to leaving for their next job and as such,they frequently prefer the smaller size and portability that are typicalof these units. These units, however, are known to have severaldrawbacks.

One such drawback relates to convenience of the known wet/dry vacuumsand in particular the relatively long amount of time that is necessaryfor their set-up, the frequency with which the hose becomes disconnectedduring transport or use and the frequency with which the attachments arelost. Due to the relative bulk of the known wet/dry vacuums and theirattachments, the professional user frequently makes a dedicated trip totransport the wet/dry vacuum to or from a jobsite.

Another drawback relates to the availability of electrical power on agiven jobsite. In new residential construction, it is relatively commonto encounter a jobsite where electrical power from an electrical utilityis unavailable. In some situations, it may be possible to acquireelectrical power from a nearby location (e.g., a neighbor) through long,heavy extension cords. Alternatively, a portable generator is required.The inconvenience of heavy extension cords and the expense andinconvenience of a portable generator is highly undesirable to aprofessional user, particularly considering that the professional userfrequently uses the wet/dry vacuum for less than 10 minutes on a givenjobsite.

Yet another drawback concerns the filter system of the known wet/dryvacuums. These filter systems typically employ a disposable filter thatis fixedly attached to the lid of the vacuum or some other supportingstructure that fits around and covers the fan. When clogged, thedisposable filter can severely limit the flow of air through the fan,which significantly impairs the ability of the wet/dry vacuum to pick updebris. Often times, however, a replacement filter is not available tothe professional user so that the wet/dry vacuum is simply used atreduced efficiency. Other drawbacks of the known filtering systemsinclude the inconvenience of servicing a filter, which usually entailsdisassembly of the wet/dry vacuum so as to expose the jobsite to thecontents of the canister, and insufficient filtering that results in thedischarge of dust from the wet/dry vacuum when the wet/dry vacuum isturned on.

Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a wet/dry vacuum havingimproved convenience and performance.

SUMMARY

In one form, the present disclosure provides a utility vacuum with acanister, a powerhead assembly, a filter, a shut-off device, a lid and alatch. The powerhead assembly is coupled to the canister and has a faninlet, a fan, a DC electric motor for providing rotary power to the fan,a receptacle assembly and an electric circuit for distributingelectrical power to the motor. The fan is in fluid communication withthe fan inlet. The filter is in fluid communication with the fan inlet.The shut-off device is associated with the powerhead assembly and isconfigured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inletwhen a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds a predeterminedvolume. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing, which isconfigured to receive a battery pack, and a connector with a pluralityof terminals that are configured to electrically couple the battery tothe electric circuit. The powerhead assembly includes a housing in whichthe fan, the motor and the electric circuit are housed. The housingincludes an inlet and an outlet, wherein operation of the utility vacuumdraws an intake flow of air into the canister through the inlet anddischarges a discharge flow of air through the outlet. A compartment isdefined by the housing and the lid. The lid is movable relative to thehousing between a first condition, which permits ingress of the batteryto the compartment and egress of the battery pack from the compartment,and a second condition, in which ingress of the battery pack to thecompartment and egress of the battery pack from the compartment isinhibited. The latch includes a first latch element that is coupled tothe lid and a second latch element that is coupled to the housing. Thefirst and second latch elements are engagable to one another to engagethe latch to thereby maintain the lid in the second condition.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe disclosure.

DRAWINGS

Additional advantages and features of the present disclosure will becomeapparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wet/dry utility vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum ofFIG. 1 illustrating the controller and charging circuit in detail;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 1illustrating the receptacle assembly in greater detail;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 1 illustratingthe flow path when the wet/dry vacuum is used in the vacuuming mode;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 1 illustratingthe flow path when the wet/dry vacuum is used in the blowing mode;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a second wet/dry vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a third wet/dry vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating thepowerhead assembly in a raised condition and the canister assemblyremoved from the housing;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a fourth wet/dry vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 10 but illustrating thecanister assembly removed from the housing;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a fifth wet/dry vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 12 but illustrating thesecondary filter in a removed condition;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a sixth wet/dry vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14A is a front elevation view of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 14;

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal section view of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 15 illustrating the cooling inletaperture in greater detail;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 15 illustrating the coolingoutlet aperture in greater detail;

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG.14 illustrating the controller in greater detail;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 14illustrating the lid in a lowered condition and the battery packexploded from the battery pack enclosure;

FIG. 20 is a schematic view of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum of 14illustrating the power supply in greater detail;

FIG. 21 is a schematic view of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG.14 illustrating the switching device in greater detail;

FIG. 21A is a schematic view similar to that of FIG. 21 but illustratingan alternately constructed controller;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 15 illustrating the primaryfilter in greater detail;

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of the primary filter;

FIG. 24 is a side elevation view of a portion of the primary filterillustrating the configuration of the retaining tab in greater detail;

FIG. 25 is a bottom view of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 14illustrating the housing of the powerhead assembly in greater detail;

FIG. 26 is a side elevation view of a portion of the housing of thepowerhead assembly illustrating one of the retaining slots in greaterdetail;

FIG. 27 is a top plan view of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 14illustrating the coupling end of the hose assembly in greater detail;

FIG. 28 is a rear elevation view of the wet/dry vacuum of FIG. 14illustrating the hose assembly in a first stored condition;

FIG. 29 is a view similar to that of FIG. 28 but illustrating the hoseassembly in a second stored condition;

FIG. 30 is a top view of a portion of the wet/dry vacuum illustratingthe electrical cord in a stored condition; and

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a tool set constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a hand-portable wet/dry vacuumconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosureis generally indicated by reference numeral 10. In the particularexample illustrated, the vacuum 10 is shown to include a powerheadassembly 12, a canister assembly 14, a filter system 16, a hose assembly18, a plurality of conventional hose-end attachments 20, a shoulderstrap 22, a first electrical cord 24, a second electrical cord 26 and abattery pack 28.

With additional reference to FIG. 2, the powerhead assembly 12 may beremovably attached to the canister assembly 14 and includes a housing40, a motor 42, a fan 44 and a controller 46. The housing 40 defines aninlet port 50, an outlet port 52, a handle 54 and a central cavity 56into which the motor 42, fan 44 and controller 46 are housed. The inletport 50 may be routed to the canister assembly 14 on a first side of thefilter system 16 while the outlet port 52 may be routed to the canisterassembly 14 on a second side of the filter system 16. Air flowing intothe inlet port 50 flows into the canister assembly 14 and through thefilter system 16 prior to being directed out of the outlet port 52. Themotor 42 and the fan 44, which is coupled for rotation with the outputshaft (not shown) of the motor 42, cooperate to blow air out of theoutlet port 52 to thereby draw air into the powerhead assembly 12 viathe inlet port 50.

In FIG. 3, the controller 46 is illustrated to preferably include afirst electrical socket 60, a second electrical socket 62, a receptacleassembly 64, a power supply 66, a power switch 68 and a charger circuit70. Each of the first and second electrical sockets 60 and 62 and thereceptacle assembly 64 are electrically coupled to the power supply 66and configured to conduct electrical power thereto as will be describedin detail, below. The power supply 66 is electrically coupled to themotor 42 and the power switch 68 in a conventional manner to permit theuser to selectively enable or disable the flow of electrical power tothe motor 42.

The first electrical cord 24 preferrably includes a conventional prongedplug end 74, which is configured to be electrically coupled to aconventional electrical outlet 76, and a conventional firstconnector-end 78 that is configured to be electrically coupled to thefirst electrical socket 60. Accordingly, the first electrical cord 24permits the user of the wet/dry vacuum 10 to couple the power supply 66to a source of alternating current (AC) power.

The second electrical cord 26 preferably includes a conventionalcylindrical plug-end 84, which is configured to be electrically coupledto a conventional cigarette lighter socket 86 of an automotive vehicle,and a conventional second connector-end 88, which is configured to beelectrically coupled to the second electrical socket 62. Accordingly,the second electrical cord 26 permits the user to couple the powersupply 66 to a source of direct current (DC) power, such as to theelectrical system and battery of an automotive vehicle.

In the example of FIGS. 3 and 4, the receptacle assembly 64 isillustrated as being flexibly connected to the housing 40 via a flexiblegasket 90. Preferably, the gasket 90 is made of a flexible resilientmaterial, such as rubber or another elastomer. The receptacle assembly64 includes a receptacle housing 94, which is configured to receive thebattery pack 28, and a connector 96 that is floatingly disposed in thereceptacle housing 94 to minimize the shock received by a battery pack28 if the wet/dry vacuum 10 is dropped. The connector 96 has a pluralityof terminals (not shown) with a configuration that contacts theassociated terminals (not shown) of the battery pack 28. Preferably, thebattery pack 28, terminals, receptacle housing 94 and connector 96 areconfigured in the manner disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,217, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully setforth herein. Accordingly, the receptacle assembly 64 permits the userto couple the power supply 66 to the battery pack 28 so that the wet/dryvacuum 10 may be operated without either of the first and secondelectrical cords 24 and 26 being coupled thereto, as when, for example,a source of AC or DC electrical power is unavailable or inconvenient toaccess. Also preferably, the power supply 66 is compatible with batterypacks having various different voltages (e.g., 18 v, 14 v, 12 v, and/or9.6 v) in a manner that is well known in the art. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that any manual or automatic means may be employedto select the source of power for the wet/dry vacuum 10. For example, aconventional rotary switch may be provided to permit the user tomanually select between AC power, DC power (from the second power cord26) and a battery pack 28. Alternatively, an automatic switch(comprising transistors or any other suitable electrical device) may beemployed such that the power supply 66 will “look” for one power type,such as AC power, first, and should it not be available, look for “DC”power from the second power cord 26 next and thereafter from the batterypack 28.

In FIG. 3, the charger circuit 70 is coupled to the power supply 66 andthe receptacle assembly 64 in a manner that is well known in the art.The charger circuit 70 allows for the charging of battery packs havingdifferent voltages, as is well known in the art. An example of asuitable charger circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,070, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forthherein.

Accordingly, a user can charge a battery pack 28, when the motor 42 isnot running, by placing the battery pack 28 in the receptacle assembly64 such that the terminals of the connector 96 electrically engage theassociated terminals of the battery pack 28 and providing the wet/dryvacuum 10 with another source of electrical power via one of the firstand second electrical cords 24 and 26. Once charged, the battery pack 28may then be removed from the receptacle assembly 64 and employed topower another device, such as the heavy-duty audio equipment of U.S.Pat. No. 6,427,070 or the cordless drill/driver of U.S. Pat. No.6,431,289.

Returning to FIG. 2, the canister assembly 14 preferably includes acanister 100 and a latching system 102 that releasably secures thecanister 100 to the powerhead assembly 12. The particular canisterillustrated has a capacity of about two gallons, but those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the canister 100 may in the alternativehave a capacity that is larger or smaller.

The filter system 16 may be completely attached to the powerheadassembly 12 but in the particular example provided, is carried canister100 and includes a plenum 110 that is releasably attachable to thepowerhead assembly 12, a float ball 112, a primary filter 114 and asecondary filter 116. The plenum 110 may have a hollow, cage-likeconstruction that permits air to flow therethrough. The plenum 110serves to retain and support the primary filter 114 as well as retainand guide the float ball 112 in a generally vertical orientation. Thefloat ball 112 rises automatically within the plenum 110 to close offthe filter system 16 from the fan 44 (which cuts off the flow of airthrough the powerhead assembly 12) when liquid in the canister 100reaches a predetermined level.

The primary filter 114 may include a filter structure (not specificallyshown), which is formed from a rigid plastic material, and a fabricfilter material (not specifically shown) that completely surrounds atleast side of the filter structure. The fabric filter material ispreferably formed of a washable filter material so as to permit theprimary filter 114 to be washed when loaded with dust or dirt, ratherthan disposed of and replaced. As those skilled in the art willappreciate, however, the primary filter 114 may be made of any suitablefiltering material, including an open-cell foam or a conventional filterpaper (in which case the primary filter 114 would be disposable).Optionally, a pre-filter structure (not shown) may also be employed.Suitable prefilter structures include wire mesh or plastic screens, oropen-cell foam which serve to collect dust and dirt (e.g., drywall dust)before the dust-carrying airflow contacts the primary filter 114.

The secondary filter 116, which is optional and in the particularexample provided carried by the powerhead assembly 12, is disposedupstream of the primary filter 114 and is of a generally finer mesh orporosity so as to collect relatively small dust particles before theyare expelled through the outlet port 52. The secondary filter 116 ispreferably removable from the filter system 16 without disassembling thecanister assembly from the powerhead assembly 12. In the exampleprovided, an access port 130 is formed in the housing 40 between theprimary filter 114 and the fan 44. When the secondary filter 116 isreceived into the access port 130, a gasketed door 132 that may behingedly coupled to the housing 40 is closed to seal the access port 130and ensure that air flowing to the fan 44 encounters the primary filter114 and then the secondary filter 116. The purpose of the secondaryfilter 116 is to provide very fine filtering of the air passing throughthe wet/dry vacuum 10 so that dirt and dust are not expelled from theoutlet port 52 when the wet/dry vacuum 10 is operated. Preferably, thewet/dry vacuum 10 may also be used without the secondary filter 116 whenthe expelling of relatively fine dust from the outlet port 52 is not anissue.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the hose assembly 18 is preferably aflexible vacuum hose which is fixedly coupled to the inlet port 50. Alsopreferably, the hose assembly 18 is at least partially retractable intothe inlet port 50 so as to provide a convenient means for storage of thehose assembly 18. Alternatively, the hose assembly 18 may be removablyfriction fitted on a selective basis to the inlet port 50 (forvacuuming) or the outlet port 52 (for blowing).

The distal end of the hose assembly 18 may be friction-fittable to anyof the hose-end attachments 20. Such hose-end attachments 20 are wellknown in the art and as such, a detailed discussion of theirconstruction and use need not be provided herein. To prevent thehose-end attachments 20 from being lost, a plurality of receiving slots140 may be formed into the housing 40 and/or canister 100. The receivingslots 140 may be constructed to frictionally engage an associated one ofthe hose-end attachments 20. When not in use, each hose-end attachment20 may be coupled to the housing 40 and/or canister 100 via itsassociated receiving slot 140.

The shoulder strap 22, which is optional, is coupled to the powerheadassembly 12 and permits the user of the wet/dry vacuum 10 to wear theunit over their shoulder so that their hands may be used for othertasks, including transporting other equipment or manipulating the hoseassembly 18 when the wet/dry vacuum 10 is in use. In the particularembodiment illustrated, the shoulder strap 22 is coupled to the handle54, which is integrally formed with the housing 40.

As noted above, the hose assembly 18 is preferably fixedly coupled tothe inlet port 50 and as such, is not connectable to the outlet port 52so that the wet/dry vacuum 10 can be used as a blower in a conventionalmanner (i.e., by connecting the hose assembly 18 to the outlet port 52).As best shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the wet/dry vacuum 10 may include avalve assembly 150 that selectively controls the flow of air to the fan44. More specifically, the valve assembly 150 may be a two-positionfour-way valve that includes an actuator 154 and a valve element 156. Inthe particular embodiment illustrated, the actuator 154 is a rotarystyle actuator that is movable between a first setting 160 and a secondsetting 162. The valve element 156 is coupled for rotation with theactuator 154 such that when the actuator 154 is positioned in the firstsetting 160, air is drawn from the inlet port 50 through the filtersystem 16 and into the fan 44 in the manner described above. When theactuator 154 is positioned in the second setting 162, the valve element156 moves (e.g., rotates in the example provided) to cause the outletport 52 to be in fluid communication with the inlet side of the filtersystem 16 and the inlet port 50 to be in fluid communication with thedischarge side of the fan 44.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate, various components of thewet/dry vacuum 10, such as the motor 42, the fan 44 and the primaryfilter 114, may be constructed and/or arranged in a manner that is wellknown in the art. Such components, constructions and arrangements areillustrated and discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,574,which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

With reference to FIG. 7, a second wet/dry vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure is generallyindicated by reference numeral 10 a. Although schematically illustrated,the wet/dry vacuum 10 a is generally similar to the wet/dry vacuum 10 ofFIG. 1 except that the filter system 16 a is integrated with thecanister assembly 14 a. More specifically, the plenum 110 a is coupledto the canister 100 a and the primary filter 114 a completely shroudsthe plenum 110 a. When the powerhead assembly 12 a is coupled to thecanister assembly 14 a, a gasket 170 is compressed between the primaryfilter 114 a and the powerhead assembly 12 a to thereby sealingly engagethe primary filter 114 a to the powerhead assembly 12 a.

When the canister 100 a is to be emptied, the powerhead assembly 12 a isunlatched from the canister 100 a, the primary filter 114 a is removedfrom the canister 100 a and the canister 100 a may be overturned toempty its contents. Like the primary filter 114, the primary filter 114a is preferably at least partially constructed from a washable andre-usable filtering material to thereby eliminate the need forreplacement filters. This configuration is advantageous in that all ofthe dirty components are located together and remain in an uprightcondition when they are being removed. In contrast to the known wet/dryvacuums wherein the filter system is coupled to the powerhead, dust andother debris remain contained within the canister 100 a when thepowerhead assembly 12 a is removed. Furthermore, removal and/orreplacement of the primary filter 114 a is quick and efficient, as nofasteners are employed to fix the position of the primary filter 114 arelative to the powerhead assembly 12 a.

With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, another wet/dry vacuum constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure is generallyindicated by reference numeral 10 b. Although schematically illustrated,the wet/dry vacuum 10 b is generally similar to the wet/dry vacuum 10 aof FIG. 7 except that the powerhead assembly 12 b is pivotally (via ahinge 179, for example) attached to a housing 180 that houses thecanister assembly 14 b.

When the canister assembly 14 b is to removed from or inserted into thehousing 180, the powerhead assembly 12 b is pivoted upwardly as shown inFIG. 9. Once the canister assembly 14 b is seated within the housing180, the powerhead assembly 12 b is pivoted downwardly so that a gasket182 that is carried by the powerhead assembly 12 b sealingly engages thecanister 100 b.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the gasket 182 mayalternatively be carried by the canister 100 b. A conventional latchmechanism 183 may be employed to secure the powerhead assembly 12 b tothe canister assembly 14 b.

With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, a fourth wet/dry vacuum constructedin accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure is generallyindicated by reference numeral 10 c. Although schematically illustrated,the wet/dry vacuum 10 c is generally similar to the wet/dry vacuum 10 bof FIGS. 8 and 9 except that the powerhead assembly 12 c is fixedlyattached attached to the housing 180 c that houses the canister assembly14 c. The canister assembly 14 c is therefore inserted to and removedfrom the housing 180 c by sliding the canister assembly 14 c into or outof the housing 180 c.

With reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, yet another wet/dry vacuumconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosureis generally indicated by reference numeral 10 d. The wet/dry vacuum 10d is generally similar to the wet/dry vacuum 10 c of FIGS. 10 and 11,except that a secondary filter 116 d is incorporated into the filtersystem 16 d. Like the secondary filter 116 shown in FIG. 5, thesecondary filter 116 d may be located between the fan 44 and the primaryfilter 114 d and is relatively finer in porosity/mesh so that dirt anddust are not expelled from the outlet port 52 when the wet/dry vacuum 10d is operated. Advantageously, the secondary filter 116 d may be removedand cleaned or replaced without removal of the canister assembly 14 d.

With reference to FIG. 14, a sixth vacuum constructed in accordance withthe teachings of the present disclosure is generally indicated byreference numeral 10 e. The vacuum 10 e is shown to preferably include apowerhead assembly 12 e, a canister assembly 14 e, a filter system 16 e,a hose assembly 18 e, a plurality of conventional hose-end attachments20 e, a shoulder strap 22 e, an electrical cord 24 e and a battery pack28 e.

With additional reference to FIG. 15, the powerhead assembly 12 e may beremovably attached to the canister assembly 14 e and may include ahousing 40 e, a motor 42 e, a fan 44 e and a controller 46 e. Thehousing 40 e may define one or more of an inlet port 50 e, an outletport 52 e, a handle 54 e and a central cavity 56 e into which the motor42 e, fan 44 e and controller 46 e may be housed. The inlet port 50 e isrouted into the canister assembly 14 e on a first side of the filtersystem 16 e while the outlet port 52 e routes air out of the powerheadassembly 12 e on a second side of the filter system 16 e. Air flowinginto the inlet port 50 e may flow into the canister assembly 14 e andthrough the filter system 16 e prior to being directed out of the outletport 52 e. The motor 42 e and the fan 44 e, which is coupled forrotation with the output shaft (not shown) of the motor 42 e, cooperateto preferably blow air out of the outlet port 52 e which thereby drawsair into the canister assembly 14 e via the inlet port 50 e. The inletport 50 e may be disposed between the canister assembly 14 e and thehandle 54 e in a vertical direction when the vacuum is in the uprightposition, as shown in FIG. 15. The handle 54 e may be disposedhorizontally between the inlet port 50 e and the outlet port 52 e in theupright position.

In the example provided, the housing 40 e may be configured to aid inthe cooling of the motor 42 e during its operation. More specifically,the housing 40 e may be configured with one or more cooling inletapertures 500 and one or more cooling outlet apertures 502, with both ofthe cooling inlet and outlet apertures 500 and 502 being in fluidcommunication with the central cavity 56 e as will be described ingreater detail, below. In the embodiment provided, a single coolinginlet aperture 500 and a single cooling outlet aperture 502 areemployed. With additional reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, the coolinginlet aperture 500 is illustrated as being concentrically disposed aboutthe inlet port 50 e to thereby disguise its location on the housing 40e, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the cooling inletaperture(s) 500 may be located at various other locations on the housing40 e. The cooling outlet aperture 502 may be located in the portion ofthe housing 40 e that defines the outlet port 52 e. In the exampleprovided, the cooling outlet aperture 502 extends through a trailingportion 510 of a protrusion 512 that is formed on the wall 514 of theoutlet port 52 e and oriented in a direction such that a longitudinalaxis of the protrusion 512 is generally parallel to the flow of airthrough the outlet port 52 e.

The particular vacuum 10 e provided is configured such that during itsoperation, air flows through the outlet port 52 e to create a zone 520of relatively low static pressure proximate the cooling outlet aperture502, causing air to flow from the central cavity 56 e through thecooling outlet aperture 502 where it merges with the air flowing throughthe outlet port 52 e. The air departing from the central cavity 56 elikewise draws fresh air into the central cavity 56 e through thecooling inlet aperture 500. The exchange of air in the central cavity 56e permits the motor 42 e to reject relatively higher levels of heat.More specifically, the air flowing through the central cavity 56 eprovides an air stream permits that flows against the motor 42 e tothereby permit the motor 42 e to reject heat therefrom with a convectiveheat transfer mechanism.

In FIG. 18, the controller 46 e is illustrated to preferably include areceptacle assembly 64 e, a power supply 66 e, a power switch 68 e andan optional charger circuit 70 e. The receptacle assembly 64 e iselectrically coupled to the power supply 66 e and configured to conductelectrical power thereto as will be described in detail, below. Thepower supply 66 e is electrically coupled to the motor 42 e and thepower switch 68 e to permit the user to selectively enable or disablethe flow of electrical power to the motor 42 e.

The electrical cord 24 e may include a conventional pronged plug end 74e, which is configured to be electrically coupled to a conventionalelectrical outlet 76 e, and an opposite end (not shown) which iselectrically coupled in a conventional manner to the power supply 66 e.Accordingly, the electrical cord 24 e may permit the user of the wet/dryvacuum 10 e to couple the power supply 66 e to a source of alternatingcurrent (AC) power.

The receptacle assembly 64 e may be generally similar to the receptacleassembly 64 of FIGS. 3 and 4 and as such, need not be discussed insignificant detail. In the example provided, the receptacle assembly 64e is illustrated in FIG. 19 to be disposed in a battery enclosure 550that is coupled to or integrally formed with the housing 40 e. A lid 552may be hingedly coupled to the battery enclosure 550 and is movablebetween a closed position (FIG. 14), which substantially closes thebattery enclosure 550, and an open position, which substantially clearsthe battery enclosure 550. An over-center camming latch mechanism 556may be employed to selectively maintain the lid 552 in the closedposition. An optional battery pack gasket 560 and leaf spring 562 mayalso be employed. The battery pack gasket 560 may be disposed betweenthe battery pack 28 e and one or both of the receptacle assembly 64 eand the battery enclosure 550 (i.e., battery pack gaskets 560 in thelatter example), while the leaf spring 562 may be attached to the lid552 and positioned so as to push the battery pack 28 e into electricalcontact with the receptacle assembly 64 e and sealing contact with thebattery pack gasket 560 when the lid 552 is positioned in the closedposition. The battery pack gasket 560 inhibits liquids from entering thereceptacle assembly 64 e and the interior of the housing 40 e despitethe presence of vent apertures 564 (FIG. 25) that extend through thebattery enclosure 550 and/or lid 552.

The receptacle assembly 64 e permits the user to couple the power supply66 e to the battery pack 28 e so that the wet/dry vacuum 10 e may beoperated when, for example, a source of AC electrical power isunavailable or inconvenient to access. Also preferably, the power supply66 e is compatible with battery packs having various different voltages(e.g., 18 v, 14 v, 12 v, and/or 9.6 v). Stated another way, the powersupply 66 e is preferably configured such that a first battery packhaving a first output voltage and a second battery pack having a secondoutput voltage that is different than the first output voltage may beused interchangeably to power the power supply 66 e. In the particularexample provided, the power supply 66 e includes an AC/DC converter 600and a DC/DC converter 602 as shown in FIG. 20. The AC/DC converter 600preferably has an electromagnetic interference suppression module 610, arectifier 612 for rectifying alternating current power input theretofrom the electrical cord 24 e, and a switching power supply 614 forpulse-modulating the rectified (i.e., direct current) power provided bythe rectifier 612. The switching power supply 614 switches (i.e., turnson and off) to control its output to the motor 42 e. By controlling theduration of each of the “on” and “off” events, the switching powersupply 614 is able to apply power of a desired voltage to the motor 42e. A feedback loop 620 may optionally be included in the power supply 66e for more accurate control of the voltage. Similarly, the DC/DCconverter 602 may include a switching power supply 624 that is similarto the switching power supply 614 of the AC/DC converter 600 in that itswitches (i.e., turns on and off) to control its output to the motor 42e to thereby apply power of a desired voltage to the motor 42 e.Consequently, electrical power of a relatively identical voltage may beprovided to the motor 42 e regardless of the voltage of the battery pack28 e.

The power supply 66 e preferably includes a switch device 630 forautomatically selecting the source of power for the wet/dry vacuum 10 e.With reference to FIG. 21, the switch device 630 is illustrated to beoptionally integrated with the DC/DC converter 602 and may include, forexample, an integrated circuit 640, first and second resistors 642 and644, respectively, and a transistor 646. The integrated circuit 640 maybe configured such that if it receives power from the AC/DC converter600, the integrated circuit 640 will turn the transistor 646 “off” sothat the power from the battery pack 28 e will not be transmitted to themotor 42 e. Accordingly, the switch device 630 may be configured so thatthe battery pack 28 e will power the vacuum 10 e unless the vacuum 10 eis coupled to a source of alternating current power in the mannerdescribed above.

With brief reference to FIG. 21A, an alternately constructed powersupply 66 e is illustrated. The power supply 66 e differs from the powersupply 66 e of FIG. 21 in that the switch device 630 is associated withthe AC/DC converter 600. More specifically, the switch device 630 isillustrated as being a relay 630-1 with first and second contacts 630-2,630-3, respectively, that are employed to control the flow ofelectricity. The relay 630-1 is illustrated in its normal conditionwherein a lead 630-4 from the motor 42 e is electrically coupled to thefirst contact 630-2, which is in turn electrically coupled to the DC/DCconverter 602 (via the power switch 68 e). The relay 630-1 remains inits normal condition unless the AC/DC converter 600 provides power(through the power switch 68 e in the example provided) to the relay630-1. When the vacuum 10 e is coupled to a source of alternatingcurrent power and the power switch 68 e is switched on, the relay 630-1causes the lead 630-4 from the motor 42 e to be electrically coupled tothe second contact 630-3, which is in turn electrically coupled to theAC/DC converter 600 (via the power switch 68 e). Those skilled in theart will appreciate from this disclosure that the power supply, in itsbroader aspects, may be constructed somewhat differently and as such,the particular examples described and illustrated in this applicationare exemplary only and not intended to be limiting in any manner.

Returning to FIG. 18, the charger circuit 70 e may be coupled to thepower supply 66 e and the receptacle assembly 64 e. The charger circuit70 e allows for the charging of battery packs having different voltages,as is well known in the art. An example of a suitable charger circuit isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,427,070 and 6,496,688, the disclosures ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Accordingly, a user can charge a battery pack 28 e, when the powersupply 66 e is coupled to a source of alternating current power byplacing the battery pack 28 e in the receptacle assembly 64 e such thatthe terminals (not shown) of the connector (not shown) of the receptacleassembly 64 e electrically engage the associated terminals (not shown)of the battery pack 28 e. Once charged, the battery pack 28 e may thenbe employed to power the vacuum 10 e or removed from the receptacleassembly 64 e and employed to power another device, such as theheavy-duty audio equipment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,070 or the cordlessdrill/driver of U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,289.

With brief reference to FIG. 14A, the housing 40 e may be configured soas to define a recess 41 e into which the power switch 68 e is disposed.In the particular example provided, the power switch 68 e is a toggleswitch.

Returning to FIG. 14, the canister assembly 14 e preferably includes acanister 100 e and an over-center cam latching system 102 e that employsa pair of over-center cam latches 700 to releasably secure the canister100 e to the powerhead assembly 12 e. The particular canister 100 eillustrated has a capacity of about two gallons, but those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the canister 100 e may in the alternativehave a capacity that is larger or smaller. Preferably, the canisterassembly 14 e also includes a reservoir emptying means 101 e thatpermits a liquid to be emptied from the interior of the canister 100 ewithout removing the powerhead assembly 12 e from the canister assembly12 e. The reservoir emptying means 101 e may be a valve (not shown),such as a ball valve or gate valve. In the particular example provided,the reservoir emptying means 101 e includes a threaded boss 101-1, agasket 101-2 and a threaded cap 101-3. The threaded boss 101-1 extendsoutwardly from the canister 100 e and is threaded about at least aportion of its exterior surface. The threaded cap 101-3 includes aninternal thread that is configured to threadably engage the threadedboss 101-1. The gasket 101-2, which is formed from a resilient,elastomeric material in the example provided, is disposed between theend of the threaded boss 101-1 and an interior surface of the threadedcap 101-3; the gasket 101-2 sealingly engages the end of the threadedboss 101-1 and the threaded cap 101-3 when the threaded cap 101-3 istightened against the threaded boss 101-1.

In contrast to the filter system 16 of FIG. 1, the filter system 16 emay be configured to be carried entirely by the powerhead assembly 12 eas is shown in FIG. 15. The filter system 16 e includes a shut-offdevice 740, a primary filter 114 e and an optional secondary filter 116e. In the example provided, the secondary filter 116 e may be a pad offibrous material that is coupled to the fan inlet 742, but it could alsobe made of a mesh or screen material or omitted altogether dependingupon the filtering capabilities of the primary filter 114 e. Also, thesecondary filter 116 e may be coupled to the power head assembly 12 e ata point after (downstream) of the fan 44 e.

The shut-off device 740 is associated with the powerhead assembly 12 eand configured to prevent the fan 44 e from drawing a liquid into thefan inlet 742 when a volume of liquid in the canister assembly 14 eexceeds a predetermined volume. The shut-off device 740 may beconfigured in various ways and may, for example, prevent electricalpower from being transmitted to the motor 42 e or close-off the faninlet 742 in response to a volume of liquid in the canister assembly 14e increasing above the predetermined volume. In the particular exampleprovided, the shut-off device 740 includes a plenum 110 e and a float112 e. The plenum 110 e may be a hollow, cage-like construction thatpermits air to flow therethrough and which serves to retain and guidethe float 112 e along a generally vertical axis. The float 112 e, whichis illustrated in the example provided as being a hollow sphere, isconfigured to rise automatically within the plenum 110 e to close offthe fan inlet 742 e (to thereby halt the flow of air into the fan 44 eand through the powerhead assembly 12 e) when liquid in the canister 100e reaches a predetermined level. Those skilled in the art willappreciate from this disclosure that the float 112 e may be configuredwith a shape that may not be spherical or even closed. For example, thefloat 112 e may have a generally cylindrical shape that is closed on asingle end.

The primary filter 114 e may include a filter body 760, an internalsupport structure 762, a lower end cap 764 and an upper end cap 766. Thefilter body 760 may be formed from any appropriate filter material,including paper or fabric. In the particular example provided, however,the filter body is formed from a pleated material that is air and vaporpermeable, but resistant to the infiltration or penetration of liquidstherethrough so that the filter body 760 may be readily cleaned asthrough washing. Optionally, the material from which the filter body 760is made is also hydrophobic and/or oleophobic so that the filter body760 will not be wetted by water and/or oils that are drawn into thecanister assembly 14 e. Our testing has shown that one particularlysuitable material for the filter body 760 is comprised of a filter mediasupport bonded to a porous expanded PTFE membrane, with one suchsuitable material being marketed as Gore Wet/Dry Filter Productsmanufactured by W. L. Gore & Associates, a Delaware Corporation having aplace of business in Elkton, Md. Also optionally, the filter body 760may be configured to provide HEPA (high efficiency particulate air)filtration or ULPA (ultra low penetration air) filtration.

The internal support structure 762 may be a cage-like structure that isdisposed about the interior of the filter body 760 and fixedly coupledto one or both of the lower and upper end caps 764 and 766. The internalsupport structure 762 is configured to axially and radially support thefilter body 760 during the operation of the vacuum 10 e to therebyprevent the filter body 760 from crushing or distorting in response to apressure differential between the interior and exterior surfaces of thefilter body 760.

The lower end cap 764 may be a plate-like structure that is formed froma rigid material and is sealingly bonded to a lower end of the filterbody 760. Alternatively, the lower end cap 764 may be wholly orpartially formed from the material from which the filter body 760 ismanufactured.

The upper end cap 766 may be an annular flange that is sealingly bondedto an upper end of the filter body 760. With reference to FIGS. 15 and22 through 24, the upper end cap 766 preferably includes a body 770 thatdefines a receiving aperture 772, which receives the plenum 110 etherethrough when the primary filter 114 e is coupled to the powerheadassembly 12 e, a seal engagement structure 774, which is illustrated asextending axially from the body 770 and oriented generally concentricwith the receiving aperture 772, and a plurality of retaining tabs 776that are circumferentially spaced about the perimeter of the body 770and which extend radially outward therefrom.

The seal engagement structure 774 is sized to engage a correspondingfilter gasket 780 that is formed from an elastomeric material anddisposed about the fan inlet 742 adjacent a lower surface of the housing40 e. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the filter gasket 780 isfixedly coupled to the housing 40 e, but could alternatively be fixedlycoupled to the upper end cap 766 or removably coupled to either thehousing 40 e or the upper end cap 766.

With additional reference to FIGS. 25 and 26, the retaining tabs 776 maybe configured to matingly engage corresponding retaining slots 790 thatare formed in the housing 40 e in an area proximate the fan inlet 742.In the particular example provided, the retaining tabs 776 areillustrated as having a generally flat upper surface 792, a taperedlower surface 794 and an engagement feature 796.

The retaining slots 790 may be formed in the inner surface 800 of acollar 802 that extends generally perpendicularly from the bottomsurface of the housing 40 e concentric to the fan inlet 742. Eachretaining slot 790 may be generally L-shaped, with a first portion 810,which is configured to axially receive a corresponding one of theretaining tabs 776, and a second portion 812 that extends around aportion of the circumference of the collar 802. The second portion 812includes an engagement surface 814 that is configured to engage thelower surface 794 of a corresponding one of the retaining tabs 776. Inthe example provided, the engagement surface 814 is tapered and includesa notch-like retaining feature 816 that is configured to receive thereinthe engagement feature 796 of a corresponding one of the retaining tabs776.

With reference to FIGS. 22, 23 and 26, when the primary filter 114 e isto be coupled to the housing 40 e, the primary filter 114 e is installedover the plenum 110 e and the retaining tabs 776 are each inserted tothe first portion 810 of an associated retaining slot 790. The primaryfilter 114 e may then be rotated to move the retaining tabs 776 into thesecond portion 812 of the retaining slots 790. With sufficient rotationof the primary filter 114 e, the engagement features 796 of each of theretaining tabs 776 are coupled with an associated retaining feature 816(i.e., received into an associated retaining feature 816 in theparticular example provided) to thereby hinder opposite rotation of theprimary filter 114 e so that the primary filter 114 e will not disengagethe housing 40 e during the operation of the vacuum 10 e.

The tapered lower surface 794 on the retaining tabs 776 and the taperedengagement surface 814 cooperate when the primary filter 114 e is beingrotated so as to translate the primary filter 114 e axially toward thehousing 40 e. In this way, the seal engagement structure 774 is forcedinto sealing engagement with the filter gasket 780 to thereby inhibitthe introduction of liquids into the fan 44 e from a point between theupper end cap 766 and the housing 40 e. The ability to seal the primaryfilter 114 e against the housing 40 e is of particular importance inthose instances where a HEPA or ULPA filter material is employed for thefilter body 760, since the filter gasket 780 also inhibits debris frominfiltrating between the housing 40 e and the upper end cap 766.

In the particular example provided, both the second portion 812 of theretaining slots 790 and the tapered lower surfaces 794 of the retainingtabs 776 are tapered in a way that not only facilitates axial movementof the primary filter 114 e as the primary filter 114 e is rotatedrelative to the housing 40 e but also distributes the load that isexerted by the resilient filter gasket 780 over the entire width of theretaining tabs 776. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however,that the lower surface 794 of the retaining tabs 776 need not betapered, and that the retaining tabs 776 and retaining slots 790 could,in the alternative, be formed on the housing 40 e and the upper end cap766, respectively.

With renewed reference to FIG. 15 and additional reference to FIG. 27,the hose assembly 18 e is preferably a flexible vacuum hose which may beremovably coupled to either the inlet port 50 e or the outlet port 52 e.In the example provided, the hose assembly 18 e preferably includes acoupling end 850 with a tapered cylindrical body 852 and a pair ofattachment lugs 854. The tapered cylindrical body 852 is constructed tobe inserted into and frictionally engage a desired one of the inlet andoutlet ports 50 e and 52 e. The attachment lugs 854 extend outwardlyfrom the tapered cylindrical body 852 and are configured to be receivedinto corresponding lug slots 860 formed in the walls of the inlet andoutlet ports 50 e and 52 e. As best shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, each ofthe lug slots 860 may be L- or J-shaped having an insertion portion 864,which receives an associated one of the attachment lugs 854 when thecoupling end 850 is axially inserted into the associated inlet or outletport 50 e or 52 e, and a retaining portion 866, which extends around aportion of the inner circumference of the associated inlet or outletport 50 e or 52 e. The terminal end 868 of the retaining portion 866 issomewhat elongated in a direction that is generally parallel to theinsertion portion 864 so that when an attachment lug 854 is disposedtherein and a force is applied to the hose assembly 18 e that tends towithdraw it from the powerhead assembly 12 e, the attachment lug 854 isable to move forwardly somewhat. As such, the exemplary coupling end 850illustrated must be further inserted to the port and rotated to effectthe uncoupling of the hose assembly 18 e from the powerhead assembly 12e. The need to both further insert and rotate the coupling end 850 aidsin resisting the uncoupling of the hose assembly 18 e from the port atan undesired time.

With reference to FIG. 14, the opposite end 880 of the hose assembly 18e may be friction-finable to any of the hose-end attachments 20 e. Suchhose-end attachments 20 e are well known in the art and as such, adetailed discussion of their construction and use need not be providedherein. To ensure that the hose-end attachments 20 e are secure andhandy, the vacuum 10 e preferably includes a tool retainer 890 that maybe integrally formed with the housing 40 e or discretely formed andcoupled to the housing 40 e, as with screws (not shown).

In the example provided, the tool retainer 890 includes a pair ofcylindrical recesses 900, which are configured to receive therein acrevice tool 20 e′ and a nozzle 20 e″, and a C-shaped collar 802 that isconfigured to frictionally engage (i.e., clamp about the perimeter of)the hose assembly 18 e. Accordingly, the user may store the hoseassembly 18 e in a storage position as shown in FIG. 28 by inserting thecoupling end 850 of the hose assembly 18 e to the inlet port 50 e,wrapping the hose assembly 18 e about a lateral side of the vacuum 10 esuch that the hose assembly 18 e is captured below the battery enclosure550 and lid 552 and clipping a portion of the hose assembly 18 e intothe C-shaped collar 802. With the hose assembly 18 e thus stowed, theopposite end 880 of the hose assembly 18 e is maintained in a stationaryposition, which may have additional utility in situations where thevacuum 10 e is being operated to remove debris from an object and theuser of the vacuum 10 e is using one hand to hold an object and theother hand to aid in clearing debris from the object. Stated anotherway, the C-shaped collar 802 may be used as a “third hand” to hold theopposite end 880 of the hose assembly 18 e as necessary. Preferably, theportion of the hose assembly 18 e between the C-Shaped collar 802 andthe coupling end 850 (i.e., the body of the hose assembly 18 e) is in astate of tension (owing to the stretchy nature of the body of the hoseassembly 18 e) so that the body of the hose assembly 18 e is secured tothe housing 40 and canister 100 e when the hose assembly 18 e is placedin the storage position.

Alternatively, the coupling end 850 of the hose assembly 18 e may beinserted to one of the inlet and outlet ports 50 e and 52 e, the hoseassembly 18 e wrapped about a lateral side of the vacuum 10 e such thatthe hose assembly 18 e is captured below the battery enclosure 550 andlid 552 and the opposite end 880 coupled to the other one of the inletand outlet ports 50 e and 52 e as is illustrated in FIG. 29. Preferably,the portion of the hose assembly 18 e between the opposite end 880 andthe coupling end 850 (i.e., the body of the hose assembly 18 e) is in astate of tension (owing to the stretchy nature of the body of the hoseassembly 18 e) so that the body of the hose assembly 18 e is secured tothe housing 40 and canister 100 e when the hose assembly 18 e is placedin this storage position.

Returning to FIG. 14, the shoulder strap 22 e may be coupled to thepowerhead assembly 12 e to permit the user of the wet/dry vacuum 10 e toselectively wear the unit over their shoulder so that their hands may beused for other tasks, including transporting other equipment ormanipulating the hose assembly 18 e when the wet/dry vacuum 10 e is inuse. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the shoulder strap 22 eis coupled to the two clips 920 that extend from the housing 40 e inareas proximate the inlet and outlet ports 50 e and 52 e.

With additional reference to FIG. 30, an optional cord wrap 930 is alsoincluded with the vacuum 10 e. In the example provided, the cord wrap930 comprises two L-shaped brackets 960 that are coupled to the housing40 e. The brackets 960 include a large flange 962 that is spaced apartfrom the housing 40 e to define therebetween a cord-wrap cavity 964about which the electrical cord 24 e may be wrapped for storage.

In FIG. 31, a tool set constructed in accordance with the teachings ofthe present disclosure is generally indicated by reference numeral 1000.The tool set 1000 includes various power tools 1002 and theabove-described utility vacuum 10 e, which includes the battery pack 28e. Each of the power tools 1002 are of a construction that includes areceptacle assembly 64 e with a configuration that is compatible andpreferably similar or identical to the receptacle assembly 64 e of theutility vacuum 10 e to thereby permit the battery pack 28 e to beselectively coupled to a given one of the power tools 1002 to transmitelectrical power thereto for the operation of the given power tool 1002.Advantageously, the battery pack 28 e may be selectively coupled to anyof the components of the tool set 1000 to thereby power the selectedpower tool 1002 or the utility vacuum 10 e. While the particular powertools 1002 are illustrated to include a drill driver 1002 a, a circularsaw 1002 b, a reciprocating saw 1002 c and a flashlight 1002 d, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate in light of this disclosure that theparticular power tool may be of any desired type and may include, forexample, hammer drills, jig saws, screw drivers, impact wrenches, rotaryhammers, routers, spiral saws, plate joiners, metal working shears,grinders, sanders, buffers, self-leveling rotary lasers,manually-leveled rotary lasers and heavy-duty audio equipment.

While the disclosure has been described in the specification andillustrated in the drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment, itwill be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof withoutdeparting from the scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing fromthe essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that thedisclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated bythe drawings and described in the specification as the best modepresently contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that thedisclosure will include any embodiments falling within the foregoingdescription and the appended claims.

1. A utility vacuum comprising: a canister; a powerhead assemblyremovably coupled to the canister, the powerhead assembly comprising arim, a first latch, a second latch, a handle, an inlet port, an outletport, a fan, a fan inlet, a motor for providing rotary power to the fan,a receptacle assembly and an electric circuit for distributingelectrical power to the motor, the first and second latches engaging therim and the canister to secure the powerhead assembly to the canister,the handle being spaced apart from the rim and disposed horizontallybetween the inlet port and the outlet port when the vacuum is an uprightposition, the inlet port being in fluid communication with the canisterwhen the powerhead assembly is coupled to the canister, the canisterbeing in fluid communication with the fan inlet when the powerheadassembly is coupled to the canister, the fan being disposed between thefan inlet and the outlet port, the receptacle assembly having areceptacle housing and a connector, the receptacle housing defining atleast a portion of an exterior surface of the powerhead assembly andbeing adapted to receive a battery pack, the connector having aplurality of terminals that are configured to electrically detachablycouple the battery pack to the electric circuit, the electric circuitbeing adapted to receive a source of direct current power from thebattery and to provide electrical power to the motor; a filter in fluidcommunication with the fan inlet; and a shut-off device associated withthe powerhead assembly, the shut-off device being configured to preventthe fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inlet when a volume of theliquid in the canister exceeds a predetermined volume, wherein thepowerhead assembly housing defines at least one cooling air intakeaperture and at least one cooling air discharge aperture, the at leastone cooling air discharge aperture being associated with the outlet portso that air flowing through the outlet port passes across the coolingair discharge to set up a zone of relatively low pressure that causesair to be drawn out of the cooling air discharge aperture to therebycool the motor.
 2. The utility vacuum of claim 1, wherein the powerheadassembly includes a housing, wherein the receptacle assembly includes acompartment that is defined by the housing and a lid, the lid beingmovable relative to the housing between a first condition, which permitsingress of the battery to the compartment and egress of the battery packfrom the compartment, and a second condition, in which ingress of thebattery pack to the compartment and egress of the battery pack from thecompartment is inhibited.
 3. The utility vacuum of claim 2, wherein thelid is hingedly coupled to the housing.
 4. The utility vacuum of claim3, wherein the receptacle assembly further comprises a third latch thatcan be engaged to maintain the lid in the second condition, the thirdlatch including a first latch element that is coupled to the lid and asecond latch element that is coupled to the housing, the first andsecond latch elements being engaged to one another to engage the thirdlatch.
 5. The utility vacuum of claim 4, wherein the third latch is anover-center camming latch.
 6. The utility vacuum of claim 5, furthercomprising a flexible hose that is configured to be removably coupled tothe inlet port.
 7. The utility vacuum of claim 6, wherein the flexiblehose is also configured to be removably coupled to the outlet port. 8.The utility vacuum of claim 1, wherein the filter is fixedly butremovably mounted to the powerhead assembly.
 9. The utility vacuum ofclaim 8, wherein the filter comprises locking members that lockinglyengage the powerhead assembly.
 10. The utility vacuum of claim 1,wherein the shut-off device is mounted to the powerhead assembly. 11.The utility vacuum of claim 10, wherein the shut-off device extends intothe canister when the powerhead assembly is coupled to the canister. 12.A utility vacuum comprising: a canister; a powerhead assembly removablycoupled to the canister, the powerhead assembly comprising a handle, aninlet port, an outlet port, a fan, a fan inlet, a motor for providingrotary power to the fan, a receptacle assembly and an electric circuitfor distributing electrical power to the motor, the inlet port being influid communication with the canister when the powerhead assembly iscoupled to the canister, the canister being in fluid communication withthe fan inlet when the powerhead assembly is coupled to the canister,the fan being disposed between the fan inlet and the outlet port, thereceptacle assembly having a receptacle housing and a connector, thereceptacle housing defining at least a portion of an exterior surface ofthe powerhead assembly and being adapted to receive a battery pack, theconnector having a plurality of terminals that are configured toelectrically detachably couple the battery pack to the electric circuit,the electric circuit being adapted to receive a source of direct currentpower from the battery and to provide electrical power to the motor; afilter in fluid communication with the fan inlet; and a shut-off deviceassociated with the powerhead assembly, the shut-off device beingconfigured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inletwhen a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds a predeterminedvolume, wherein the canister includes an upper surface and a bottomsurface, the upper surface opposes the bottom surface and engages thepowerhead, the bottom surface contacts a ground surface when the vacuumis resting freely in an upright position such that the powerhead isspaced apart from the ground surface, wherein the inlet port is disposedbetween the upper surface and the handle in a vertical direction whenthe vacuum is in the upright position, wherein the powerhead assemblyhousing defines at least one cooling air intake aperture and at leastone cooling air discharge aperture, the at least one cooling airdischarge aperture being associated with the outlet port so that airflowing through the outlet port passes across the cooling air dischargeto set up a zone of relatively low pressure that causes air to be drawnout of the cooling air discharge aperture to thereby cool the motor. 13.The utility vacuum of claim 12, further comprising a flexible hose thatis configured to be removably coupled to the inlet port.
 14. The utilityvacuum of claim 13, wherein the flexible hose is also configured to beremovably coupled to the outlet port.
 15. The utility vacuum of claim12, wherein the filter is fixedly but removably mounted to the powerheadassembly.
 16. The utility vacuum of claim 15, wherein the filtercomprises locking members that lockingly engage the powerhead assembly.17. A utility vacuum comprising: a canister; a powerhead assemblyremovably coupled to the canister, the powerhead assembly comprising ahandle, an inlet port, an outlet port, a fan, a fan inlet, a motor forproviding rotary power to the fan, a receptacle assembly and an electriccircuit for distributing electrical power to the motor, the inlet portbeing in fluid communication with the canister when the powerheadassembly is coupled to the canister, the canister being in fluidcommunication with the fan inlet when the powerhead assembly is coupledto the canister, the fan being disposed between the fan inlet and theoutlet port, the receptacle assembly having a receptacle housing and aconnector, the receptacle housing defining at least a portion of anexterior surface of the powerhead assembly and being adapted to receivea battery pack, the connector having a plurality of terminals that areconfigured to electrically detachably couple the battery pack to theelectric circuit, the electric circuit being adapted to receive a sourceof direct current power from the battery and to provide electrical powerto the motor; a filter in fluid communication with the fan inlet; ashut-off device associated with the powerhead assembly, the shut-offdevice being configured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid intothe fan inlet when a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds apredetermined volume; and a flexible hose that is configured to beremovably coupled to the inlet port wherein the powerhead assemblyincludes a housing, wherein the receptacle assembly includes acompartment that is defined by the housing and a lid, the lid beingmovable relative to the housing between a first condition, which permitsingress of the battery to the compartment and egress of the battery packfrom the compartment, and a second condition, in which ingress of thebattery pack to the compartment and egress of the battery pack from thecompartment is inhibited; wherein the lid is hingedly coupled to thehousing; wherein the receptacle assembly further comprises a latch thatcan be engaged to maintain the lid in the second condition, the latchincluding a first latch element that is coupled to the lid and a secondlatch element that is coupled to the housing, the first and second latchelements being engaged to one another to engage the latch; wherein thelatch is an over-center camming latch; wherein the flexible hose is alsoconfigured to be removably coupled to the outlet port; wherein thefilter is fixedly but removably mounted to the powerhead assembly;wherein the filter comprises locking members that lockingly engage thepowerhead assembly; wherein the shut-off device is mounted to thepowerhead assembly; and wherein the shut-off device extends into thecanister when the powerhead assembly is coupled to the canister, whereinthe canister includes an upper surface and a bottom surface, the uppersurface opposes the bottom surface and engages the powerhead, the bottomsurface contacts a ground surface when the vacuum is resting freely inan upright position such that the powerhead is spaced apart from theground surface, wherein the inlet port is disposed between the uppersurface and the handle in a vertical direction when the vacuum is in theupright position.
 18. A utility vacuum comprising: a canister; apowerhead assembly removably coupled to the canister, the powerheadassembly comprising an inlet port, an outlet port, a handle, a fan, afan inlet, a motor for providing rotary power to the fan, a receptacleassembly and an electric circuit for distributing electrical power tothe motor, the canister being in fluid communication with the inlet andoutlet ports and the fan inlet when the powerhead assembly is coupled tothe canister, the receptacle assembly including a receptacle housing anda connector, the receptacle housing defining at least a portion of anexterior surface of the powerhead assembly and being adapted to receivea battery pack, the connector having a plurality of terminals that areconfigured to electrically detachably couple the battery pack to theelectric circuit, the electric circuit being adapted to provideelectrical current to the motor, the inlet port being disposed betweenthe handle and the canister; a filter in fluid communication with thefan inlet; and a shut-off device associated with the powerhead assembly,the shut-off device being configured to prevent the fan from drawing aliquid into the fan inlet when a volume of the liquid in the canisterexceeds a predetermined volume, wherein the powerhead assembly housingdefines at least one cooling air intake aperture and at least onecooling air discharge aperture, the at least one cooling air dischargeaperture being associated with the outlet port so that air flowingthrough the outlet port passes across the cooling air discharge to setup a zone of relatively low pressure that causes air to be drawn out ofthe cooling air discharge aperture to thereby cool the motor.